HYDERABAD: When he saw that a few talented children were unable to pursue their passion for football, he decided to do something about it. He cycled 600 km across two days to raise funds and pay their football coaching fees. Shashikiran Tirumala from Hyderabad, who works at Siemens Healthineers in Bengaluru, came across these orphaned children during a football tournament.
“When I interacted with the children after the match, I came to know that two of them live in an orphanage called Surabhi Trust. I realised that they had the potential to become better players but did not have anyone to train them. At the same time, my child was enrolled at a football academy. When I approached the academy with the two kids, they said that they could waive off half of the coaching fees. That is when I decided that I would take up a cycle tour to raise the remaining money,” he says.
Shashi, who took up cycling five years ago, cycled from Bengaluru to Salem and back on January 6, and from Bengaluru to Lepakshi and back on January 7. He had completed a similar tour last year too. “I could not raise adequate money last year and paid the rest from my own pocket. A few other friends too organised charity events to contribute to the cause. However, the response has been overwhelming this year and we have collected Rs 42,000 so far. This amount will cover coaching fees of four children.
My aim is to raise enough money to mentor six children. A portion of the fees is being contributed by Surabhi Trust, too,” adds Shashi. Explaining how he had to tweak his plans, the cyclist adds: “Initially, I had planned to cycle to Hyderabad, but I could not find a support vehicle which is required for a long journey. That is why I divided the tour into two legs.
Due to the pandemic, I was not able to interact with people on the way, but the campaign caught the eye of netizens who contributed freely.” Talking about the measures that one needs to take for long-distance cycling, Shashi said that management of sleep and food is crucial. “If you are cycling at night, it is necessary that the cycle is fitted with lights, and the rider wears a refractive jacket and helmet with light.
Most importantly, you have to learn to listen to your body. You might push yourself too much without realising that you are doing it. That is why, it is necessary you recognise your body’s limits,” he says.
Anyone willing to donate for the cause can contact 9885021421.
— Kakoli Mukherjee kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com @KakoliMukherje2